QUICKLY QUICKLY QUICKLY

Upon initially listening to this album (which was my first encounter with The Tea Club) I was not sure what to make of it. The music had moments of "classic" prog, but didn't rely on old formulas for its signature sound. What it did have in droves was an unmistakable sense of drama and urgency, and a conspicuous disregard for conventionality. There are hard rock, pop, grunge, folk and alternative moments -- all delivered with meticulous finesse, even when just about to go off the rails.

Without diminishing the excellent performances by all the band members, I would like to note that one of the standout aspects of this album is Joe Rizzolo's flavorful drumming. I would even go so far as to say there is *melody* in so many of the fills. In places where simple rollouts would suffice, Joe instead pulls off inventive, well articulated patterns that fit the moment but without the unnecessary "look at how technical I am" showiness.

This album is definitely one that grows on you over time (like most complex albums do), and fully blossoms when enjoyed end-to-end through headphones.